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According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,790 square miles (7,200 km2), of which 2,761 square miles (7,150 km2) is land and 29 square miles (75 km2) (1.1%) is water.[5]

It is located on the west edge of the state of Montana, with a variety of mountains - it is part of the Coeur d'Alene Mountains in the Bitterroot Range. The Clark Fork River runs through the middle of the county; Southeast to Northwest flow orientation with the Bitterroot Mountains on the Southwestern side and the Cabinet Mountain to the Northeast. Like many river systems of Western Montana, the Clark Fork is noted for broad, open plains along its banks.

It is partially arid, with the west-facing mountain slopes capturing the most rain: ranging from nearly 40 inches a year in Heron (similar to Seattle's annual precipitation) on the Western end of the county to less than 12 inches per year in Dixon on the East end.

A variety of birds and other wildlife are found in Sanders County. The Tufted duck has been observed along the Bull River. An amphibian, the Rough-skinned Newt, has a disjunctive population at Thompson Falls which is un-contiguous with the remainder of the Western USA population of this species.[7]

Like most of Western Montana, Sanders County is a "destination hunting locale" with trophy specimens of White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus), Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus), Rocky Mountain Elk (Cervus canadensis nelsoni), Shiras Moose (Alces alces Shirasi), Mountain Goat(Oreamnos americanus), and Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis Canadensis) rounding out huntable ungulate species and Black Bear, Cougar and Wolves comprising the huntable carnivores. Perhaps most notable of the species is the massive-horned Rocky Mountain Bighorns taken regularly from the flocks in the county. Three of the Top 10 heads in the Record Books were taken in Sanders County -Vying with British Columbia as the top producer of great heads. Astounding to realize, is that the combination of great habitat, genetics and age structure of the flocks has some rams as young as 7 years of age qualifying for the record book and some of the massive heads have basal circumferences surpassing 18 INCHES (Most "huge" horns around the world are found on 10-13-year-old rams with circumferences of 14-16 inches)

Grizzly Bear, the Montana State Animal, are also found in the county, but as an endangered species, they are un-huntable at this time. Montana had the last huntable population of Grizzlies in the lower 48, allowing 10 bears a year (natural deaths, poaching and other causes of death were included in that total to decide when season closed) as late as the 1990s. Only Alaska allows hunting for Grizzlies now.

Western Meadowlark, the state bird are found sparsely in the meadow areas of Sanders County along with Redwing Blackbird and Rocky Mountain Bluebirds... some of the favorites at local birdfeeders.

The westslope cutthroat trout (Onchorynchus clarki lewisi) is native to the drainages of Sanders County. The threatened native bull trout relies on westslopes as a major prey species in its piscivorous diet. Catch and release fishing is required to maintain fishable populations of the two natives, which now compete with introduced rainbow trout, and warm-water species, such as largemouth bass, yellow perch, Northern Pike, and walleyes that have been introduced and thrive in the modified habitat of the Clark Fork River's reservoirs.

Sanders County is part of the "Mountainous" Western 1/3 of the state. It lies entirely on the Western slopes of the Rocky Mountains with a mixed coniferous forest dominating the plant community. Douglas Fir/Ponderosa Pine (MT State Tree) climax plant community dominate much of the county, but there are numerous other conifers found there as well in pockets of micro-climates suited to their needs. These include Western Red Cedar, Western Hemlock, Mountain Hemlock, White Spruce, Subalpine Fir, Grand Fir, Western White Pine, Lodgepole Pine and one of the most spectacular, Western Larch, one of a handful of deciduous conifers that turn gold in the autumn before dropping all their needles.

Numerous broadleaf species proliferate in Sanders County as well. Rocky Mountain Maple, Red Alder, Paperbark Birch, Chokecherry, and numerous cottonwood and poplars as well light up the creek bottoms in autumn with their annual display of fall color.

Arguably the most popular broad-leaf shrub in Sanders County is the Rocky Mountain Huckleberry (Vaccinium membranaceum). Trout Creek, MT 59874 is considered the "Huckleberry Capital of Montana," holding an annual celebration of the fruit called the "Huckleberry Festival" in August when the fruits ripen at high elevations. Though related to the common blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) very few have managed to grow Rocky Mountain Huckleberry in domestic cultivation. It is commonly found in plant communities with Beargrass, a perrenial found in burned or logged-over areas of the mountain ranges in the county.

The Bitterroot (Lewisia rediviva) is the state flower and found in limited quantities in Sanders County, though the prairie hills in Missoula County drew Native tribes from surrounding areas to dig the roots for food annually.

There were 4,273 households out of which 26.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.30% were married couples living together, 7.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.20% were non-families. 28.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.86.

In the county the population was spread out with 23.80% under the age of 18, 5.50% from 18 to 24, 22.10% from 25 to 44, 31.80% from 45 to 64, and 16.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 102.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $26,852, and the median income for a family was $31,340. Males had a median income of $28,340 versus $17,630 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,593. About 13.30% of families and 17.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.30% of those under age 18 and 9.20% of those age 65 or over.